In Your Eyes
by Neko-chan4
Summary: Another Jesse/James pairing by Neko-chan! This is an alternating POV story between the two, so we can see their true feelings for one another. A sweet and happy ending--perfect for all you romance lovers!
1. Prologue

In Your Eyes

**In Your Eyes **

By Nichole (Neko-chan) Johnson

**Prologue **

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double…"

The two Pokémon thieves stepped out of the shadows, advancing on their prey with evil grins.Jesse tossed her long hair disdainfully, crossing her arms over her chest imperiously.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

Her partner James pressed his back against hers, hands on hips.

"To unite all peoples within our nation," he said in a smooth, cultured voice, piercing the three Pokémon trainers with his green gaze.

Jesse winked cutely, giving a thumbs-up."To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

James made a grasp towards the sky with one fist."To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jesse!"The feisty redhead spun on her heel, landing in a modelers' pose.

"James!"The blue-haired bishonen grabbed his partner's petite waist and dipped her gracefully.

With cat-like grace, their last member leapt into the scene in a dramatic battle stance."Meowth, that's right!" he crowed challengingly as a cascade of colored waterworks went off behind the three villains.

Silence.

Jesse tilted her head up from her uncomfortable position and glared at her un-enthusiastic audience.

"Hey, aren't you brats going to make some snotty remark or something?"

James looked irritated."We put a lot of work into that production!"

Ash and Misty simply stared at them with bored expressions.Tracy blinked wide-eyed.

"Are they always this flashy?" he asked Misty.

Jesse ground her teeth in irritation and jumped into battle stance.

"Ah, enough chit-chat!Arbok, get those weaklings!"

The large purple viper shot out of it's Pokéball, charged for action.It leaped at the three trainers and did a wrap attack on Tracy.

"Yaaaagh!!" cried the young Pokémon watcher in terror.

"Weezing, go!" commanded James, throwing out his own Pokéball into the fray."Poison gas attack!"The dopey looking two-headed Pokémon crowed obediently and shot out a stream of noxious looking gas, leaving the three trainers choking in it's wake.

Jesse laughed evilly."Smoking, isn't it? Arbok, poison sting attack now!"

"Chaaa-bokuh!" cried the giant viper Pokémon, shooting a stream of needles at its opponents.

Ash stumbled under the attack but looked up to glare at the three laughing Pokémon thieves.

"Pikachu, thunder attack now!Get Team Rocket!" he yelled to his loyal Pokémon, pointing at the three villains.

"Pi!" growled the little electric rodent, nodding its head in agreement.

"Pi—kaaaaa—CHUUUUUU!!!"

Jesse, James and Meowth were engulfed in a brilliant flash of electricity.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!" they screamed as the volts shot through them.Suddenly the tongues of licking electricity met with Weezing's poisonous gas.

"Looks like Team Rocket's—blasting off agaaaaaain!!!" cried the trio mournfully as the explosion propelled them into the air.Soon they were merely specks on the horizon; there was a 'ping' of light and they were gone.

Ash cried out in victory, hopping around excitedly from foot to foot.

"We did it Pikachu!!Yay!!"

The little electric rodent grinned brightly at its master."Pi—ka—CHU!"

Misty rolled her eyes."I would hardly call beating Team Rocket a great feat."

"Toge!Toge, briiiiii?" trilled Togepi, looking down at Tracy in concern from Misty's grasp, who was lying dazed on the ground.

"What a healthy Arbok," groaned the Pokémon watcher in a dazed voice."I wonder if Team Rocket would let me sketch it?"Then he collapsed in exhaustion.Ash and Misty blinked.

*****

The trio landed in a town not so far away.

"Oooooohh!" groaned James pitifully.He had landed on his head.Righting himself, he sat down on the sidewalk lotus style looking forlorn.

"I think I need to teach Weezing some more non-flammable attacks," he whined.Meowth sat up, rubbing his head with a paw.

"Ach, we were so close dat time!" he complained.Jesse stood up, dusting herself off determinedly.

"Those stupid brats are really in for it this time!" she growled angrily, shaking with rage.James jumped up beside her, making a fist.

"Right!We'll come up with an even better plan and get them next time!"

His stomach growled loudly.He looked at his partner sheepishly.

"Maybe we could eat first though…"

Jesse looked at him."I don't have money…do you?"The blue-haired bishonen pulled out his pocket linings.A couple of moths flew out.Looking desperate, the two humans turned to their Pokémon partner who was busily cleaning himself.He looked up at them when he realized they were both staring.

"Hey, don't look at me!I don't even _got pockets!"_

The two sighed dejectedly, James getting little Anime rivers.

"I'm so hungryyyyyyy!"

Jesse looked upset."If we don't have any money, we can't get rooms!We're going to have to sleep outside again!"Her eyes started to wobble emotionally.

Meowth fell over in exhaustion."We're hungry and broke _again!"_

All three groaned in dejection.

Suddenly Jesse grinned mischievously."We may not _have money but I know a way we can get some!"Her partners looked at her with interest._

"How, Jesse?" asked James.He frowned cutely."Don't tell me we're going to _work again like we did on that awful island."_

She shook her head disdainfully."Don't be ridiculous, James.And we're not going to sell fake badges either."

Meowth looked peeved."Then what _are we gonna' do, Miss Smarty-pants?"_

The redhead ignored his remark, whipping out three, small black bags.

"We're going to get money the Team Rocket way, of course!"

James and Meowth grinned evilly in realization.

"Ooh, Jesse you're a genius!" complimented James in a deep voice.Jesse blushed and laughed in embarrassment.All three grabbed a bag.

"We'll meet back here with the loot in an hour—capísh?" she asked.Her partners nodded.

"Capísh!"

The young man laughed to himself, bouncing the coin purse between his hands proudly.

"Ha!Today was a real winner!Those suckers!They didn't even realize there was three extra Aces in that deck!"He laughed again, expertly flipping a trio of Aces out of his sleeve with a flick of his wrist.

"This calls for a little champagne, Slick my man!"

He rounded the corner into a dark alley, whistling to himself in congratulations.Suddenly a shadow detached itself from the darkness, slinking towards him inkily.

"What the…?!!" he growled, reaching for his knife.The shadow came into the light, forming itself into a beautiful young woman.She had long, midnight black hair wrapped in a loose ponytail over one shoulder and intense blue eyes.They had a mesmerizing effect on the young card player, like a pair of deep blue whirlpools.She advanced on him timidly, dressed in a low-cut white dress with a tight black bodice and over-skirt.The card dealer smirked lecherously, watching her move in the tight-fitting dress.

"Well hello there, pretty thing!" he remarked, looking her everywhere but in the eyes.The young woman didn't seem to notice, watching him coyly from under her lashes."What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a place like this?"

The woman advanced on him, clasping her hands imploringly."Please, sir!I need your help!"

The young man smirked darkly."What _kind of help?"_

The young woman looked at him desperately, blue eyes quivering."I…I'm in need of money, sir.If you could just loan me a few dollars…!"

The card player snorted disdainfully, tossing the coin purse in one hand tauntingly."_Give you money?!I don't just __give out handouts, you know.You'd have to make an exchange, baby!"_

The young woman didn't seem to understand his undertones, advancing even further to beg him yet again."Please, sir!Couldn't you just this once?I have nothing to exchange!"

The man looked amused."Look, doll.I don't give no one money.Not even gorgeous creatures like yourself.You're just going to have to 'persuade' me…"

Something flashed in the woman's eyes.Before the card player could even blink, he was staring into the barrel of a pistol at point blank range.

"How's that for persuasion?" she asked in a haughty, feral voice, grinning at him evilly.The card player gulped.

"Ha, ha, ha!What a catch!"

Jesse laughed to herself proudly, counting the coins out in her palm.She had gone into the cover of the trees at the side of the road to count her night's 'earnings'.She laughed again.

"Along with whatever those two got, we should be able to get a room _and take-out!"_

There was a rustle in the trees behind her.She spun, facing the darkness nervously.

"Who's there?!" she demanded in a gruff voice.Only silence rewarded her efforts.She bit her lip nervously, backing up unconsciously.

Suddenly a black-garbed figure dropped from the branches behind her, grabbing her around the waist with one hand and covering her mouth with the other.She cried out, her voice muffled by her attacker's hand then angled sideways in his grasp to aim an elbow into his ribs.Her attacker cried out in surprise and released her, barely avoiding her strike.

Jesse stood poised to defend herself, glaring at her attacker as she tried to catch her breath.The black-garbed man blinked at her in surprise for a moment, then looked at her more closely as if in recognition.She blinked and stared back.

_Those eyes…, she thought.Then she noticed the telltale strand of blue violet hair between them._

She straightened up, her defenses down."James?"

The man cocked his head at her."Jesse?"

Jesse sighed in relief, then realizing he had jumped her, walked over and smacked him over the head."What the hell were you doing, imbecile?!Did you want to get your ass kicked or something?!"

James rubbed his head dully and pulled off his mask, shaking out his hair."I didn't know it was you!Really!"He looked at her, curious."How did you know it was me?"

She pulled off her black wig, smoothing down loose strands of her intense crimson hair and straightening the bun she had it in.

"Well first it was your eyes.Then it was your hair," she remarked curtly, tugging on the loose strand sharply.He pouted cutely and flicked it in irritation.

"Damn," he cursed.

She crossed her arms sternly."But back to business; how much did you get?"

James looked putout."Not very much…"He pulled a handful of coins and bills from his pocket.

Jesse looked irritated."James, how much is that?" she demanded dryly.

James paused nervously.

"…Five dollars…"

Jesse's eyebrow twitched.

"_Five dollars??!!!"_

"We can get two burgers with that…"

"FIVE DOLLARS?!!FIVE DOLLARS?!!ALONG WITH WHAT I GOT WE BARELY HAVE ENOUGH FOR A DECENT ROOM!!!"

James smiled meekly."Maybe Meowth made more…!"

Jesse made as if to strike him then blinked."Meowth!Where is that stupid cat?"

"I don't know!Don't ask me!" whimpered James frantically, cowering with his hands over his head in protection.

Jesse looked at her watch."It's been nearly an hour since he was supposed to get here."

James looked up from his fetal position in concern."Do you think we should go look for him?"

Jesse gazed into the gloom, eyebrows furrowed somewhat.She shook herself and turned back to James.

"Nah, let the stupid cat be!" she replied haughtily."Let's just go find a motel.He can find us on his own if he's going to make us wait for him!"

James looked unsure but nodded anyway."Right."He smiled suddenly."Can we rent a motel with cable?"

Jesse rolled her eyes."We'll be lucky to get one with _plumbing with the change we scrounged up, James…"_

She threw some clothes at him."Here, change into these."

He held them up and looked at them curiously."Why?"

She rolled her eyes again and pulled an outfit of her own out of her black bag.

"Oh, no reason.Just the fact that a man dressed as a bank robber might look a little _suspicious…"_

***


	2. Chapter One: Blue

Chapter One: Blue

Chapter One: Blue 

As soon as we entered the dingy motel, I wanted to turn back.The smell that assaulted my nose made it almost impossible to breathe, causing a wave of nauseous to roll over me in it's wake.

"Classy," I heard James murmur from my right shoulder, a hint of sarcasm in his deep, silky voice.I wrinkled my nose, refraining from comment.I knew that if I said anything, there would be more than a little bit of sarcasm in it.

It was more than just the smell.The room looked like someone's sick joke; like a cardboard box someone had hung a dusty light bulb from and then charged you to stand under it.A sickeningly large, sweaty man sat on a stool across from an archaic looking computer, paging through a beat-up old copy of Penthouse.Supposedly the owner.

Dear God.

"Excuse me.We'd like a room, please."

He looked up at me dully, his small beady eyes boring into me.It sent shivers up my spine, and I seriously regretted my choice of disguise at the moment.Seeing as how we were expecting to be holing up in a dirt-cheap motel, James and I had dressed the part.Dressed in baggy farmer's jeans and unbuttoned blue plaid T-shirt over a tight wife-beater, James looked every bit the type that would check-into a place like this.

And I...I almost blushed at the thought.Tight, _tight jean cut-offs, so short they were almost crotch high.Cheap healed sandals.And the frosting on the cake: an extremely small white T-shirt, torn about an inch below my chest._

I know I'm very busty for my age.Very busty for any age, in fact.And I definitely like to show my assets off.

But this was almost humiliating.

To top off the whole ensemble, I had tossed my beautiful red hair into two messy, bun-like pigtails on the side of my head.I was feeling about exactly how I looked at the moment.

Trailer trash.

I realized the man had been running his eyes up and down my form, as if inspecting my figure was important for renting a room.My temper flared.Nothing got my goose like getting undressed by some lowlife's eyes.

"Hey, buddy, I said we'd like a room!What, can't you hear me with all the colors at war in here?!" I snapped testily, hands on hips.His eyes finally seemed to find my face, although it wasn't much of a comfort as they soon fell to my chest.I find that most men talk to my chest.

Except for James.

"Okay, lady, don't get your panties in a bundle," muttered the man gruffly, breaking me out of my sudden slip in train of thought.He turned to his computer, clumsily tapping the keys with his pudgy fingers.I felt James come up beside me as I glared viciously at the man's bent head. Turning to me, he pierced me with his green eyes.

I shook my head stubbornly.I could sense how much he wanted to take over the talking; noticing the owner's demeaning behavior towards me.But my pride wouldn't let him.It always had.

Despite it, he always tried to protect me.Though not apparent to others, James could be very protective.Most people would say it was the other way around.I guess it seemed that way to them because I never accepted the protection.

Like I said, stubborn.

The man looked up from his computer screen.At my chest, none the less.Like there was any ounce of decency and respect in such a despicable character.

"We got one room left, lady.Take it or leave it," he remarked gruffly.

"We'll take it," I replied firmly, slapping some bills down on the monitor.He grunted noncommittally, the bills quickly disappearing, and typed something into the computer.Then he pulled a dirty key off a nearby hook and handed it to me.

"Room 003," he grunted, not looking up from his screen.Amazingly.

James snatched the key from his grubby hand before I could even move my arm.

"That disgusting, indecent, slimy, filthy bastard!"

I huffed angrily into the cramped, shoddy little motel room, flopping down on the bed angrily.

That's right._The bed.As in one._

"One bed.Should have known," sighed James, dropping our bags on the floor.He ran a hand through his hair, staring at the disheveled room in a slight look of disgust.

I sat up angrily."Did you see how he looked at me?!" I cried, as if it hadn't been obvious.I couldn't really complain though.The disguises had been my idea.

"Damn, I hope we don't have to stay in this hell hole for long."

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking exhausted.I suddenly realized how tired I was as well.It had been a long, wearing day.

Stretching, he looked at me again.With those intense green eyes of his.I tore my eyes away, embarrassed.My gaze fell, and I couldn't help but admire how good he looked in that tight white shirt.

"If Meowth doesn't show up soon, we might have to stick around for awhile," he commented, falling back onto the bed.

Meowth.My stomach sank.I had completely forgotten about the small cat Pokémon.He had been missing nearly three hours.I bit my lip, a wave of worry and concern washing over me.Despite appearances, I missed the mouthy cat.

James sighed suddenly, getting up from the bed and taking off his over-shirt.

"At least they have showers here," he commented absentmindedly.I could tell he wasn't talking to me, just thinking out loud.

Then to my complete shock and enjoyment, he took off his shirt.I stared at his well-built chest, unable to cover-up my appreciative gaze.Fortunately for me, he didn't seem to notice, green eyes glazing over as if lost in thought.

"I'm going to take a shower," he murmured, grabbing his duffel bag and retreating to the small bathroom at the back of the room.

I realized I was still staring after him.Shaking myself out of my almost trance-like state, I got up from the bed and went over to my own bag lying on the floor by the door.I quickly changed into my nightshirt and pajama pants, struggling to get the hair ties out of my tangled hair.

Sitting back down on the bed lotus style, I took a brush to my mussed-up hair, brushing out the snarls and smoothing it into a shining wave that stretched down my back and spread onto the stained, dirty motel blankets.Separating it into three equal sections, I slowly began to braid it into a loose braid over one shoulder, lost in thought.

My feelings hadn't been recent.I tried to think back, back to when I had met my best friend and partner, back to when the feelings had first started.

But it seemed like I couldn't pinpoint the beginning.We had been too young to like each other anymore than a friend when we first met, but I felt as if I had cared for him this way as long as time.

And hiding it just as long.

It had been becoming harder lately.Being partners in Team Rocket, we were trained to work as one, often so physically close as to raise any other person's eyebrows.But we were used to it.But as of lately…

My skin tingled pleasantly, remembering the feel of his strong arms around me when he had jumped me from that tree.And how well the sleek, black ninja's suit had fit his well-built form.

Finishing my braid, I wrapped my arms about myself comfortingly, my overwhelming feelings conflicting with my stubborn pride in the back of my head.It was becoming so hard to hide my feelings being constantly so close.Every time his brilliant green eyes met mine, every time he brushed up against me.Every time he embraced me, or smiled that beautiful smile of his.And his voice.His deep, enticing voice sent pleasant thrills up my spine, and haunted me in my dreams.

I wanted to share my feelings with him so badly.But I was even more terrified of hurting our friendship.

Sighing deeply with indecision, I slipped under the covers and turned out the light.

Something woke me up.The room was still black, and I was guessing it was still quite early.And then I realized that James had climbed into bed while I had been asleep.A thrill ran up my spine.

Suddenly the bed seemed incredibly small.

I held my breath, not wanting to wake him.And just lay there.Enjoying his presence.

Me.Jesse.Needing the comfort of someone else's presence.People wouldn't have recognized me.

I suppressed a bitter sigh, tears of frustration welling in my eyes.Like the phrase, "so close, yet so far" he lay, had always lain, whether it was physically or metaphorically.I suddenly wished I had been lying in the other direction, so that I could watch him sleep like I often did when we were in camp.He usually fell asleep quick and easy at night, unlike me, and I would watch him longingly, unable to drift off myself.I could lie awake in bed for hours, thinking.Thinking, but mostly worrying. I became pensive at night, full of my own self-doubts and the fear of losing others.I was most vulnerable then, uncertain in my emotional stability and the stability of the image I reflected.

Underneath my hard, violent shell, was a frightened and weak little girl who had run away from home a long time ago but was still unable to forget the horrors of her past.Bitterly, I realized I had probably never really 'grown' up.Over years of shoving my past so far back in my mind, I had simply built up a protective barrier to prevent it from ever happening again, isolating me from others and turning me into a supposedly cold and fearless warrior.

Ha.Fearless.Me.

I had thought I would never trust another man again, abused by so many as a child.And I wouldn't have.They were at the top of my hate list.

But innocent little James with the large green eyes wasn't a man.Not when I met him.Just a lonely and frightened little boy in a similar predicament.It never even occurred to me that little boys grow up into men, at the time, and I look back and am thankful that I didn't.If it hadn't been for James, I don't think I would have survived.

I had always thought of James as weak.He cried a lot, nearly everything frightened him.Especially me.Sometimes when he was scared, he would look at me, green eyes crazed with fear, and the look he gave me broke my heart.Like I was the very essence of everything horrible and evil in the world.Like I was the very cause of his pain.I told myself he was incoherent with fear; seeing someone else's face in my own.But the thought that I caused him pain like that bit at my insides like a razor.

Thankfully, that had been when we were young, years and years before I had even begun to notice he was turning into a man. By then, I had used his fear of me to toughen him up.I hated myself for it, regretted it night after night as soon as I was old enough to realize what I had done.But in the eyes of a frightened and lonely little girl, it had seemed the only way.But it had worked.And he didn't seem to hate me for it.I was his closest friend after all, whether I had achieved that by violence or not.

But could he ever love me?After what I did to him, I told myself never.

In the beginning, it had been him who needed me the most.He had been used to showing his feelings, whether they got him hurt or not.He cried when he was sad, smiled when he was happy, shook when he was afraid.

Cried out when he was in pain.

This innocence, the innocence I had lost far earlier than he, made him seem weak and cowardly.Showing your feelings had never been a concept to me.Childhood was full of putting on a face of stone and dealing with ever horror I had to face without fear.

So although I was alone and frightened as well as he, I became his backbone.I had assumed that he was simply frightened at being alone; I had been living in fear since I was old enough to remember, so I immediately took charge of him, believing I was much more seasoned in the area of pain and loneliness.

How wrong could I have been.

Another wave of bitter tears struck me.I sucked in my breath, trying to prevent them from falling.

How long had it been since I had really let myself cry?If James hadn't been so close, I believe I would have let myself.It had been so long.

And there were so many tears to let fall.

For my childhood, my lost innocence.My mother, my true father.Friends who'd turned against me, lost loves.Millions of lost opportunities, people's trust, respect, compassion, dignity.Everything a woman should have grown up with.

And James.Half of those tears would be for him.He had been hurt in the past, I knew that now.And not just by me.By those who were supposed to love him but never had.

I had been fortunate to at least know the love of one parent in my lifetime.

I was so caught up in my grief that I didn't realize he was awake at first.Then he sighed, softly and sadly, as if he had been lost in thoughts of his own.I started, upset that my guard had gone down and I hadn't even noticed until just then.

"James?" I whispered, not wanting to startle him.He was, though, a small gasp of surprise escaping him.

"Jesse?" came his voice softly, calming down again."I didn't wake you, did I?"

I shook my head gently, my back still to him.I was afraid to turn around, for fear he'd see I had been about to cry.

I felt him turn to face me, propping himself up on his forearm.

"Jesse…are you alright?"

My throat clenched.He had asked me that a million times and I had always answered "Yes!" sharply and harshly, sometimes striking out at him for added emphasis.But despite the possibility of getting hit and turned away, he had always asked it.

I took a deep, shuddering breath.

"No, I'm not," I answered softly, finally letting the tears spill.He cared about me.Whether in a love kind of way or simply as a best friend, he cared.Enough for me to share my feelings with him.

There was a short pause as he digested this.I wondered briefly of the look on his face.I had never admitted to being upset before.But he had seemed prepared for it this time.

Then he lay back down, and wrapping his arms around me comfortingly, pulled me against him.It startled me, but it felt so good.I sighed, closing my eyes and drinking in his smell.His hair was still slightly damp from his shower, and I could smell his shampoo and the clean smell of the soap on his skin.His bare chest felt warm and comforting against my back, our breathing rising and falling as one.

"What's the matter?" he murmured, concerned.His breath tickled my neck, sending warm tingles down my spine."Is it Meowth?"

I shook my head gently, his hair brushing the side of my neck.I had already lost the need to cry, just by his embrace.Now all I wanted to do was stay there forever.

"No," I murmured, failing to mask the longing in my voice.

He sighed, sounding defeated, and held me closer.

"Jesse, you can tell me," he murmured pleadingly, beginning to rub my arm in the most pleasant way."You know you can tell me anything."

I sighed, wanting to so much.If only it were that easy._"James, I'm in love with you.I have been for a long time.I've just been so afraid…"_

Instead, I simply shook my head.Gently taking his arms and wrapping them around my waist again, I curled up against him and closed my eyes.

"It's nothing.Just hold me—that's enough."

He paused, then I felt him nod softly.

And as I was drifting off, I could have sworn I felt his lips brush my cheek.

***


	3. Chapter Two: Green

Chapter Two: Green

Chapter Two: Green 

I awoke to the familiar sounds of a hair dryer running somewhere nearby.Stretching, I yawned and opened my eyes.

And quickly clamped them shut again.

"Agh-ah!" I cried, throwing an arm over my eyes in pain.Apparently, I had awoken later than usual and the sun was now up and streaming cheerfully straight into my face through the ragged curtains.

"Damn…"Turning away from the window, I opened my eyes again.

Surprisingly, the cheap room didn't look half-bad in the morning's light. Small and furnished in extremely out-dated shades of orange and brown, it contained the one bed, a small rickety nightstand with a cheap digital alarm clock on it and an old, tassel-shaded lamp, and one stuffed chair.

Well, formerly stuffed.It definitely looked like it had seen its share of domestic fights, rowdy children, and overly stuffed suitcases.Not to mention a Meowth or two.

I glanced at the clock.Five to eight.I frowned.Normally my internal clock woke me at quarter to five.I wondered briefly how I had managed to sleep in so late.

And then I remembered that I had hardly slept the night before.

"Oh my God…!" I groaned, rolling back onto my back and staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.I couldn't believe I had done it.All this time.So many times, I had tried to force myself to.And had stopped myself short.

What had she thought?Did she hate me?

I glanced at the bathroom door nervously.The hair dryer had shut off.She would be coming out soon.My cheek already stung at the blow I knew I would receive.

Or would I?

She had really been crying.Or had been about to.My instincts knew.All I could think of was wanting to comfort her.She always acted so cold and tough on the outside, but I knew that there was a deeply sad and lonely person buried within.She didn't know I knew, but I knew.I saw it in her eyes the day we first met.She hid it well, I was sure that I was perhaps the only one who had seen through it.

She needed me.

My eyes fell.But she didn't want my help.She had always turned it down in the past, choosing to isolate herself from others.She wasn't the type to share her pain or feelings.

But I had had enough of keeping my pain to myself.Growing up with a Growlithe as my only means of escape, I had craved compassion and true companionship.And it had seemed that I had found that companionship in Jesse, for awhile.

But we had been growing apart, as of late.She seemed to keep to herself more and more, and every time I tried to look her in the eyes, she'd turn away, changing the subject or becoming gruff and violent.

And things she used to say and do to me, that never really mattered much before, began to sting like the bite of a knife.

I looked up at the ceiling again, a bit of hope weeding its way into my mind.She had accepted my comfort the night before, though.Perhaps things really were changing.

Sighing, I let myself remember the soft warmth of her skin.Like expensive ivory silk, it smelled ever so faintly of roses and fresh air, from living out of doors so often.And the way her chin curved against the pale stretch of her soft throat.The way everything about her curved just right and fit perfectly in my arms.She had the figure of a goddess, and the high cheekbones and beautiful prominent features of a model, so lovely there was no need for make-up.

And her full, crimson painted lips.So often had I longed to touch them with my own.

I had been unable to sleep the night before, slipping into the bed after taking my shower and simply lying there, gazing at her in the light of the dull moonlight falling on the bed through the half-closed curtains.She looked so…innocent and gentle when she slept, a harsh change from her gruff attitude during the day.Like her guard was down.

It hurt to think she had a guard up against me.

Thinking back, I remember a time when she would relax around me, just a little.Before we had joined Team Rocket, before we had begun our training.Only around me, she could be herself.

But now, even that gift of trust was gone.I had only to offer my understanding, and she would snap, lashing out at me with a bitter tongue or the strike of her hand.

It had surprised me when she had accepted my offer the night before.

But I doubted it would happen again.

With one last sad sigh, I climbed out of bed.Fishing around in my duffel on the floor beside the bed, I found my belt and put it on.Then I slipped my black T-shirt on as well, deciding not to put my uniform jacket on just yet, and pulled a comb through my now fully dry hair.

Jesse came out of the bathroom, red hair styled per normal and still dressed in her pajamas.They were my favorite ones: the cute baby-T with the pink kitten on it, and the low-cut cotton cloud-print pants.It gave her this cute, girlish look that I found becoming on her.I think she liked them because they captured the innocence of the lost childhood she never had.

She gave me an odd look that turned into an awkward smile, as if it had taken her a second thought."Finally decided to wake up, huh sleepyhead?"

I smiled awkwardly.After last night, it was hard to pretend everything was normal.

"Uh, yeah…sorry," I replied apologetically, expecting her to chastise me for sleeping in.She simply shrugged dismissively however, going over to the other side of the bed and retrieving her duffel bag from the floor.

"Oh, don't bother.We're not in any rush," she commented casually, though there was an awkwardness to her tone.I dismissed it, nodding instead.

"All we've got planned for the day is waiting around for Meowth to show up."

She turned back towards the bathroom, duffel in hand."I'm going to get dressed.You go see if you can find us some breakfast."

After she had disappeared into the bathroom, I took the room key and my holster off the end of the bed.Slipping my jacket on, I strapped the holster in its usual place at the inside of my left arm, hidden by my glove.Fishing my revolver out from under my pillow, I slipped it into its holster and left the room.

The day was warm and bright, feeling good after the cramped, musty quarters of the motel room.I found a nearby street lined with little shops, hoping there would be a place easy to slip through security.Paying wasn't even a concept.We were out of money.All we had was going towards the cheap motel room and we weren't even sure how long the cash would last.

I sighed.I really should have tried a different 'money-making' method the day before.

Soon I found what I was looking for.It was a modestly large shop complete with fruit and vegetable stands out front.Just what I needed.

I strolled by casually.Now we may not be able to catch that one pesky little Pikachu (damn the little rat!) but Team Rocket was at the top of its class when it came to anything else criminal.We had been put through excruciating and nearly impossible top-notch training, and risen well above our peers, earning us the honor of the white uniform.Though a seemingly trivial and simple job, stealing the Ketchum boy's Pikachu was simply a cover for much more highly dangerous criminal activity.The longer it took us to catch it, the more incompetent the Team would appear, therefore gaining less police attention and allowing it to get away with the bigger and better jobs.Jobs like jewel heists, insurance fraud.And the unmentionable 'special assignments'.We even had an assassins' guild in our operation.

So robbing a little fruit stand would be a cinch.

Pretending to inspect some tasty looking peaches, I located the owner out of the corner of my eye.He was helping a pretty little housewife pick through an array of foreign spices, explaining the different uses of each and picking out ones that would work well with whatever meal she had told him of that she was planning.

I waited awhile, picking several peaches from the pile and slipping them casually into a bag as if I were a regular shopper, and moved on towards the cereal so as not to appear suspicious, watching him out of the corner of my eye.The customer was smiling sweetly, thanking him for his assistance.He helped her with her bags, carrying them to the cash register for her at the back of the open store.They chatted a bit as he rang up her purchases, and I moved on to the eggs and chose a carton, pretending to be undecided on whether to buy the Large or Medium.

Suddenly she perked up, as if she had forgotten something.He listened carefully as she described it, tapping his chin thoughtfully.A rare spice?Most often hard to find?Did he possibly have it?He smiled, assuring her.Of course he must, he catered in the rare.He would have to go in the back and look for it.

I smiled mentally to myself.Just what I had been waiting for.

As soon as he had slipped in back, I made a face, pretending to be disgusted with something.

"Is that a cockroach in the apples?" I remarked in distaste, supposedly to myself but just loud enough for the customer near me to catch.I saw her face contort in horror out of the corner of my eye, gasping lightly.

I turned to her conspiratorially, like strangers often do in grocery stores, making light chitchat.

"Well doesn't that just show a lack of sanitation?" I commented, shaking my head sadly.She nodded agreeably, abandoning the groceries she had been carrying and leaving the store in disgust.

"And to think I've shopped here all my life!" I heard her mutter to herself.

Looking at my own parcels with similar distaste, I made as if to leave them on a nearby stand.

"I'm never shopping here again!" I muttered loudly, storming out of the shop and down the street, making sure every customer had seen me leave empty handed.

In reality, when it had seemed I was leaving the bags behind, I had secretly slipped them into the invisible bag hanging from my hip.Normally, the bag hung from my back, carrying my belongings in secrecy so as not to appear a burden.It was a standard issue piece of equipment issued to all top Team members; Jesse, Meowth and I all had one.But Jesse and I had switched the contents of ours the night before to regular duffel bags to appear as regular travelers, so the bag was empty now, save the food I had just lifted.Tied by a strap to my hip, it made the perfect hiding place for stolen goods.

Stopping off at several more shops to pick up a few more needed supplies, I made my way back to the hotel, a spring to my step.The air was clear, the sun was bright, and I had a week's supply of supplies under my belt (no pun intended).Not to mention I had made my first move on Jesse just the night before and she hadn't backed off.Life seemed pretty good at the moment.

"I scrounged us up some breakfast," I commented lightly with a grin, stepping into the bleak motel room and dropping my invisible parcel lightly to the ground.

She looked up from the papers she had been looking through, supposedly supply lists and assignment reports, and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You make it sound like it's beetles and tree bark," she remarked wryly, pushing away the papers and climbing off of the bed to help me unpack the supplies.

I smiled again, relieved.Apparently she was back to her old self.

For the meantime, at least.

I nodded, helping her sort through the contents of the bag as I spilled them out onto the bed.

"That was the idea," I remarked smartly.She hit my arm playfully, smiling.

"Well don't tease me like that!I remember the last time we had to resort to similar methods," she commented, spreading out the supplies and marking them down on the nearby supply list.

I watched her silently, enjoying her sudden light attitude.What had made her so chipper all of a sudden?All that time she had seemed to grow farther apart from me, had she really just been upset?Had me simply holding her the night before comforted her enough to become this happy and carefree?

Or was it something else?

I realized she was staring at me.

"Hey, Space-case!"

I jerked out of my drifting thoughts."Oh!Ah—what?What was that?"

Her blue eyes twinkled in humor, a wry grin touching her lips."I said, are you going to make us breakfast or are you just going to sit there and stare at the food all day?"

I blushed, embarrassed that she had caught me with my mind wandering.Again.My mind seemed to do that a lot.

Not that I'm stupid or anything.Just a dreamer.A dreamer who tended to forget where he was and what he supposed to be doing at the moment.That's why I needed Jesse to keep my mind on track.

I'd probably be running into a whole lot of trees without her help.

"Sorry about that, Jesse," I apologized, grinning sheepishly. I collected my supplies and brought them over to the camp cooker that had been set up on the floor.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

***


	4. Chapter Three: Azure

Chapter Three: Azure

Chapter Three: Azure 

The meal had been delicious, James as always, creating a masterpiece out of a very limited supply of ingredients.It was only scrambled eggs and cereal with fresh peach slices, but hell, I couldn't even boil water for the life of me, so it tasted like a feast.

Not to mention it had been prepared by possibly the world's most gorgeous cook.

I sighed.James had the most wonderful way of leaning across to hand me my plate, in which he would suddenly look up, and gaze up at me through those incredibly deep, green eyes of his.

A dull 'thonk' brought me out of my daydreaming.

"James, could you please stop hitting that ball on the ceiling?It's irritating."

He scowled at the ceiling, giving the bouncy ball another toss with a flick of his wrist, only lower this time.

"Sorry," he muttered, slightly irritated but still mindful of my temper.As if I had disturbed him somehow.

I sighed and turned back to the boring reports I had been going over before my mind had begun to drift, eternally puzzled with him.He seemed to be doing more of that lately; falling into a sort of trance, like he was thinking really deeply.No offense to his intelligence or anything, but James had never really struck me as the intellectual type before.

It bothered me, somehow.I had this nagging feeling that somehow it had to do with me.I mean, he had always tried so hard to protect me.To return the favor from when we were children, I suppose, though he owed me nothing.Could his need to protect me have gone so far that it dominated his thoughts?

I mentally slapped myself.If my thoughts kept wondering like this, I would never get through all these papers.

I let my gaze fall on the piles and piles of paper littering the bed in front of me, my spirits sinking.

I hate paperwork.

With a depressed groan, I let myself flop backwards onto the bed."I am so bored!"

James turned to look at me suddenly in surprise from the chair across the room, as if he had just realized I was there, the rubber ball falling from where he had thrown it to hit him in the head.

"Ow!"He rubbed his head, scowling darkly at nothing in particular.

I tried not to, but I couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face.

Then my laughter died and I sighed again in boredom.James looked similarly bored as the two of us stared at one another across the room in silence, as if staring would make one of us come up with something to do.

Finally James spoke up."We need to—"

"Get out of this room," I finished for him.He nodded in agreement, getting up from his chair and stretching stiffly.It didn't look like a very comfortable chair.

I crawled off the bed, ignoring the papers that fluttered and fell to the floor in the process, as I searched around for my purse.It occurred to me how strange it might have seemed to some people, the way I had been able to finish James' sentence for him, but for us, it happened all the time.It was strange: one moment, I wouldn't be able to figure him out, and the next I would know exactly what he was thinking.

Strange, but comforting.It was nice to know someone so well you knew exactly what they were going to say.

I scowled."Where is my damn purse?" I muttered out loud, digging through the pile of duffels, invisible packs and the like on the floor.

Something tapped me on the nose, and I looked up to see James swinging said object in front of my face.I smiled sheepishly, rising to my feet and taking it from him.

"Uh, thanks…" I said, slipping it over my shoulder and following him out the door.It seemed silly, carrying a purse when I didn't even have any money, but it comforted it me to at least have it on hand.

We walked for a bit down the town's main street, checking out the shops and people and simply enjoying the weather.There was a nice breeze coming in from the ocean, along with plenty of sun and the town was small and pleasant.

But also boring.

"So what are we going to do, anyway?" I asked suddenly, finally getting bored of simply taking in the sights.I was pretty sure I had seen all there was to see.

James shrugged, looking up at the sky to watch the seagulls, which were circling a ways off towards the beach.

"We could sneak into a movie," he suggested lightly, taking his eyes off the birds to look down at me.

I frowned slightly."Is there even a theater in this crappy town?" I commented doubtfully, scanning the stores and shops nearby.

He grinned."Yeah, I think I saw one earlier!"Grabbing me by the arm, he began pulling me back down the street."Come on!"

I don't remember the movie very much.We spent most of the time making fun of it and reminiscing about old times; the first time we'd fallen in our own hole, the first time I made James dress in drag and he ended up having a blast.The time our Pokémon evolved and when we almost drowned on that stupid ship.And people we had met, like Cassandra, Dr. Proctor, that Duplica girl, Butch and Cassidy.And Jessebelle.

We got off of that subject real quick.

"I can't believe you snuck us into The Brave Little Diglett Goes to Mars!" I laughed as we came out of the theater.A theater mostly full of children and their parents.Yeah, we had been getting a lot of weird looks.

"Well how was I supposed to know?It's not like they post movie titles outside the 'Exit' doors," replied James defensively, leaning against one of the rope dividers in the lobby.

I laughed again, leaning next to him."Guess we should have known once all those 'G rated' movie previews started playing," I remarked lightly, giving him a grin to let him know I wasn't mad.He grinned back, then turned away with a pensive look on his face.

"So what are we going to do now?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets uncomfortably.

I pursed my lips thoughtfully.In reality, I cared nothing of what we did as long as I spent the rest of the day with him, but I of course couldn't say that to him.Suddenly, it seemed incredibly hard to come up with an answer that was character of me.

"Jesse?"

I turned to look at him quizzically, finding him looking at me in a fashion I often looked at him when catching his mind wandering.Apparently, it had been my turn to space-out.

I turned away, shrugging carelessly, hoping he hadn't caught my nervousness at his gaze.I just couldn't seem to look him in the eyes anymore, afraid I'd lose face gazing into those intense green depths.

Everyone saw me as tough and immovable, but around James, I felt like putty.

"Whatever," I answered casually, hoping to sound indifferent."There's not much to do in this town, anyway."

He made a face of agreement, slouching suddenly in boredom."You're right about that…" he muttered, turning thoughtful once again.

I found myself studying the movie posters plastered around the lobby, anything to keep from looking at him; wishing I could touch him, wishing I could feel his arms around me again.I wanted to be lost in his eyes; his warmth, his scent, filling my senses.To hold onto him forever, kissing him like sweet, endless torture.The intense longing overwhelmed me, and I suddenly needed to be somewhere else, anything to keep my mind off of him.

But I didn't want to be away from him.

_Damnit, James! I cursed him in my head, __Why must you be so perfect?!_

I felt his eyes on me and I turned to him, hoping I would be able to control the longing in my eyes.He turned away hastily, as if he hadn't wanted me to know he was watching me.

And then I noticed the color rising in his face, ever so faintly.My heart skipped a beat._Could he…?_

An idea formed in my mind.Smiling, I turned to him again, suddenly not so afraid to do so.

"You hungry?" I asked brightly, knowing he'd never say 'no' to food.He smiled in return, nodding and brushing off his embarrassment.

"Do you have something in mind?" he asked.

I smiled mischievously, once again confident in myself.

***


	5. Chapter Four: Emerald

Chapter Four: Emerald

Chapter Four: Emerald 

Jesse had taste.She definitely had good taste.

The restaurant she chose was a classy sort of outdoor café like the type seen on the French Rivera, complete with smartly dressed waiters and phony French accents.It seemed strange to find such a classy place in this tiny town, but I was glad Jesse had found it anyway.

I was curious, though, that she had chosen a place called _Le Amore Chateau—it seemed to me like a romantic-type restaurant catering to couples.I knitted my eyebrows in puzzlement.Why would Jesse pick a romantic outdoor café?My heart jumped hopefully.Could there be something she was getting at?Was this perhaps a casual sign that she was…?_

A nervous shiver went up my spine.No, it was impossible.The name had to be a coincidence—she probably hadn't even noticed it.She had probably only picked it for it's classy French style.

Still…I watched her closely for any signs that she might be up to something.Whether she had intentionally picked the café for it's romantic atmosphere or not, perhaps this would be my chance to make another move.

I felt her watching me expectantly, and turned to her.She smiled brightly, disarming and innocent, or at least it appeared so.I had learned in the past never to judge Jesse by her cover.

"What do you think?" she inquired expectantly, leaning her elbows on the small two-person table and leaning her chin on them comfortably.Momentarily lost in her eyes, I mentally shook myself, smiling back casually and hoping she hadn't noticed the partial slip.It had been an embarrassment when she had caught me gazing at her back at the theater, and I reminded myself to be more cautious, hoping her suspicions weren't already up.

"This place is great!" I replied truthfully, turning to enjoy the balcony view of the boardwalk so as not to slip again under her blue-eyed gaze.My stomach was fluttering nervously, sick with controlling my emotions for such a prolonged period of time.The delicate scent of her perfume wafted towards me on the breeze, making me heady with it.I wanted to feel her in my arms again, stroking her hair, breathing deeply of her scent, tracing the line of her cheekbones with my fingers.It would be like heaven to kiss her, to feel the softness of her lips against my skin—lost in the sweet oblivion of her taste.

I saw her nod out of the corner of my eye, sighing gently in relaxation.

"It's like being in Paris," she commented, following my gaze and staring out at the crystalline blue waters of ocean beyond the balcony.I watched her profile, admiring its perfection and the dreamy look on her face.

I wished that she would turn that look of longing and serenity on me.

"I feel a bit under-dressed, though," I commented self-consciously, finding the silence to increase my discomfort and longing.She laughed lightly, musically, and turned to me again, smiling benevolently.

"You look fine just the way you are," she commented, turning away quickly after the compliment to study the waves with sudden fascination.

Almost too quickly.

My mind balked.Was that the trace of a blush on her face?

The silence was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.Why, I could only wonder at.How could two such close friends who had never found it hard to be around one another before suddenly find it so hard to strike up a conversation?

I told myself I had to break the silence.

"I wonder where our waiter is?" I remarked out loud, searching the fairly full patio for some service.Jesse finally seemed to lose her strange fascination with the waves, turning in her seat to search the outdoor restaurant with an irritated scowl.

"I certainly can't say much for the service," she muttered, putting me more at ease with her return to character.

As if on cue, one of the phony French waiters wandered over to our table purposely, smiling with over-enthused cheesiness.

"Ah, monsieur, mademoiselle!Bonjour!Welcome to Le Amore Chateau," he greeted brightly in a heavily forced French accent, inclining his head politely to us both."I am Frederick, and I will be your waiter for ze afternoon.Would you care for something to drink before you order?"

Jesse began to shake her head politely, remarking that water was fine, but I cut in abruptly, sitting forward in my chair with sudden interest.

"Do you have a wine list?"

Frederick smiled charmingly, glad to find a customer to rack up his liquor sales."Why yes, monsieur.Would you care to see it?" he offered politely, presenting the small red menu to me.

I took the menu from him, scanning the list quickly for something appropriate for the occasion.

"Ah, how about a bottle of your finest white wine," I requested finally.Frederick smiled charmingly again.

"A fine selection, monsieur.We have a wonderful Chateau Ste Michelle that should suit you and ze lady."

Checking our I.D.'s (both fake and issued from Rocket headquarters) he thanked us again and disappeared to retrieve the selection.I caught Jesse's curious glance out of the corner of my eye, turning back to her again with a slightly smug grin.

"Wine?" she asked, surprised by my boldness.I couldn't help but notice the pleased look she was trying to hide.

I shrugged casually, hoping I appeared as confident as I felt, and leaned back in my chair.

"Why not?It's not like we're going to be paying for this meal anyway—we might as well make the most of it."

She looked impressed, like I had hoped she would."Hmm, why not?" she repeated softly, suddenly leaning across the table and surprising me.She was so close; I wanted to touch her more than anything.

Her lips curled into that familiar smile of self-confidence, incredibly enticing from her nearness.If I had leaned just a bit forward in my seat across the small table, I was sure our lips would have met.I forced myself not to think about it, controlling the urge to do so with painful difficulty.

"You know, we haven't done anything together, just the two of us, for so long," she pointed out suddenly, turning her blue eyes up at me in the most perfect way so as to appear innocent and longing.I shook myself inwardly, telling myself I was seeing things.

With increasing boldness, I rested my arms on the table across from her, hoping she wouldn't back down in the sudden invasion of personal space.We were so close, I could smell her perfume again, beckoning me even closer.I stayed my ground, however, afraid of her backing down if I pushed my luck.

"It has been a long time," I replied evasively, wishing I had the courage to close the gap between us and touch her lips with mine.

She stared into my eyes for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face, then suddenly backed away, returning to her seat as if nothing had happened.

"I wonder what happened to Meowth," she commented hastily, opening her menu casually and avoiding my eyes.

I watched her for a moment, feeling my heart sink in my chest, then sat up slowly in my chair as well, picking up my own menu.

"Yes," I answered, unable to tear my eyes from the suddenly fascinating menu and trying to hide the deep color rising in my face.I hoped she couldn't hear the strain in my voice.

She nodded behind her menu, apparently just as engrossed in it's contents as I pretended to be with my own.

"I hope nothing's happened to him," she continued blandly, not really into the subject, simply trying to strike up a conversation.

I nodded absent-mindedly, deciding to search the menu for the most expensive meal.A part of my mind felt a bit guilty that I wasn't worrying over my friend's two-day absence, but I was too absorbed into trying to get through the meal without letting Jesse know something was up to linger on the subject.

To my relief, the waiter finally returned with our wine, pouring us each a glass and inquiring whether we were ready to order.Jesse nodded, finally looking up from her menu to face him.

"Yes, I'll have the champagne lobster," she replied, and I looked up at her suddenly, surprised she had picked the same thing as me.

Frederick nodded, a surreptitious grin touching the edges of his mouth, and jotted her order down on his pad.He turned to me.

"And for ze monsieur?" he asked politely.I caught Jesse's eye, who had turned to look at me expectantly, and smiled knowingly.

"I'll have what she's having," I answered simply, not taking my eyes off of hers.

I was not going to back down this time.I hoped she wouldn't either, hoped she would see my meaning in her eyes.

I needed this meal to amount to more than a gigantic bill.

***


	6. Chapter Five: Sea

Chapter Five: Sea

Chapter Five: Sea 

I was sure the waiter said something after that, but I hardly heard it.All I could see, the only thing that mattered suddenly, was us.It felt as if everything but just the two of us and that short distance between us that felt like miles was all that existed.

The waiter left, but James' eyes didn't leave mine, mesmerizing me into a world of our own.It was an incredible feeling; it was intoxicating.

And it felt like a prelude.My heart couldn't imagine anything greater than what was happening now, drowning in his emerald eyes, other than holding him and having him for my own, but somehow the possibility of it ever happening still seemed unreachable.

I picked up my wineglass, giving him a careless smile that was much more confident than I felt.

"Here's to Meowth and the vacation he's provided us with," I proclaimed, waiting for him to lift his own glass then striking it in a toast with my own.I hadn't wanted to break the mood but felt the need to say something.

Luckily, my casual toast didn't seem to waive his gaze.

"To Meowth," he repeated, returning my smile and endless gaze.At least, his mouth answered that.I knew his eyes whispered, _"To us…", whether it was my imagination or not._

We both took a deep sip of our drinks.I felt heady, and wasn't sure whether it was the wine or just him, there, gazing at me like I was the only woman alive and the most exciting thing he had ever seen.

Before I knew it, I was on my third glass, laughing and reminiscing over my half-finished lobster.Our hands met again and again as we reached for the wine bottle, pouring glass after glass, and hours passed by like minutes, turning the sky a breath-taking shade of violet that eventually faded to star-coated black.We emptied the first bottle and James tagged down the waiter, ordering another.

"I can't remember when we had this much fun last," I commented slowly, putting an effort into not slurring my words.James poured us each another glass, missing our glasses for a moment and spilling wine onto the table.

"Hmm, I think I can," he replied, annunciating carefully. He took a sip of his wine, rolling his eyes back in his head thoughtfully.

"Remember that time…we—we had that…ah…test, and we went to that party…the night before…and got…completely—really smashed," he said with some difficulty, stumbling over the sentence.I laughed giddily.My whole body felt warm and heady, the edges of my vision blurring just slightly and giving everything a surreal, dream-like quality.

"That was the—the…um…that entrance…exam thing for…damnit…uh," I struggled to reply, eventually bursting into uncontrollable laughter and giving up.James snorted at my failed attempt to remember and burst into a similar fit of laughter, leaning on the table for support.

After a few minutes, I recovered from my laughter, still giggling slightly."We should get going," I pointed out, still coherent enough to remember our little money problem.James nodded, finishing off his most recent glass of wine and trying to control the urge to burst into laughter again.

"How…do you want to do this?" he asked me, occasionally broken by a giggle.I hit him in the arm playfully, unable to stop myself from giggling as well when he started.

"Cut it out, you're gonna' make me laugh!" I giggled, finishing the last drop of my wine.He nodded with some difficulty, bowing his head in an effort to control his laughter.

I put down my glass and leaned back in my chair, trying to appear serious."I'm gonna' go to the ladies' room.Five minutes after I've left, you follow.Leave your…I dunno'…Leave your wallet or something so the waiter will think you're coming back."

James nodded grimly, then unexpectedly burst into laughter.

"James!" I yelled, trying to look stern but bursting into laughter as well. He continued to laugh uncontrollably, leaning his face in his hand for support.

"Sorry!I'm sorry!" he cried, choking through his laughter."You just look so damned serious!"

"I am serious!" I answered angrily.Well, as angrily as I could while laughing my head off.The room was starting to spin lazily, my body seeming to sink into a warm haze.

James finally seemed to get his laughter under control, breathing deeply to steady himself.

"Okay, I think I've got it," he answered seriously."Then we both sneak out the bathroom windows and meet up outside, right?"

I nodded, taking a few deep breaths of my own to steady my own nerves, which only succeeded in making me even dizzier; my stomach fluttering with nauseous.

James leaned his head on his hand in a quizzical manner."This reminds me of high school all over again," he remarked nostalgically.Then he burst into laughter once again, forcing me to hit him with my purse.

Getting up from the table, I made to leave, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over me.Taking a moment to let the dizziness pass, I carefully made my way away from the patio and into the ladies' bathroom.

Luckily for me, the room was empty.I dizzily made my way over to the mirror, deciding to touch up my make-up while I waited for the five minutes to pass.

Staring at my rosy-cheeked image in the mirror, I suddenly felt doubtful.I was drunk, and not quite sure how much longer I could remain coherent, and James and I were about to go home together to an empty, one-bed motel room.Nothing had happened the last time we got smashed together, other than the both of us waking up with screaming hangovers, but I couldn't be so sure about this time.After all, we had both only been about 14 or 15 at the time.Now we were adults, and very aware of one another's attractiveness.I knew that I was in love with James, but I was still drunk and sure I wouldn't remember a thing in the morning.And I wasn't even sure if James felt the same way.

"Jesse!" came James' voice impatiently from outside the window, startling me out of my suddenly serious reflection.I hadn't realized that five minutes had gone by.

Taking one last look at my reflection in the mirror, I questioned myself on what I was about to do.And then he called me again, sending a warm thrill up my spine even more thrilling and seducing than that caused by the wine, and I was assured of my choice; going over to the window and throwing open the sash.

I climbed out the window, allowing him to catch me, and wrapped my arms around his neck comfortingly.

"I lost track of time," I whispered, my lips aching for his.

He smiled, his green eyes sparkling in the dim moonlight.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, gently putting me on my feet.He was surprisingly calm and rational for the amount of wine we had consumed.I realized it was the fresh air away from the crowded, smoky atmosphere of the café; feeling my own head beginning to clear from it's affects.

I gazed at him in the dark, the moonlight playing across his features in a way I had never seen his face before, and suddenly I couldn't control the longing to touch him anymore; reaching out to touch his face tenderly, tracing the shadows with my fingers.He pulled me towards him hastily, kissing me deeply.He was kissing me into oblivion, taking my breath away, and I wanted the moment to last forever; losing myself in the heat of his body against mine…his hands sliding upwards from my waist, painfully slow like sweet torture, my skin tingling where he touched it.His hair, brushing softly at the sides of my face…the taste of the wine we had shared on his lips and tongue…everything about him sending me to heaven.

And then we were back at the motel and I was lost to the passion…

***


	7. Chapter Six: Verdure

Chapter Six: Verdure

Chapter Six: Verdure 

I lay still, allowing my mind to slowly swim to consciousness; trying to remember where I was and what I was doing there.

And then Jesse moved in my arms, her hair brushing my face gently with the movement.Suddenly I was fully awake, aware of the dull headache throbbing behind my temples, aware of the fact that Jesse was lying in my arms, her bare skin warm and thrilling against my own.At first I couldn't remember why, holding my breath so as not to wake her in case she would be as shocked as I, and then I remembered—remembered the café, the wine…catching her as she jumped from the ladies' room window and taking her back to the motel, both of us full of wine and passion.

I had thought I was too trashed to remember, but it all returned to me in a rush, and unlike most drunken memories, it was thrilling and wonderful.My only regret was the fact that it had happened because we were both heady with the wine we had drunk, and not because we had both decided it was time.I had told myself not to get carried away; I never would have wanted to take advantage of Jesse.But after the first drink…neither of us seemed able to stop, the wine loosening the tense mood we had both been in.I hardly recalled ordering the second bottle.

But I remembered everything.I wondered if it really had been more than just the wine.

I watched Jesse as she slept, the pale sunlight streaming through the ragged curtains casting an angelic glow on her soft bare shoulders, which rose and fell gently with every breath.There was still a light trace of her perfume on her skin, alluring even in the aftermath of everything that had taken place in the last day, and I nuzzled her neck softly, breathing deeply of the scent and kissing her sweet skin tenderly.She stirred again in her sleep, moaning lightly as if she enjoyed my touch.I was no longer afraid of her waking, although I could watch her sleep for hours, covering her satin-soft skin with tender kisses and letting my imagination run wild with the movement of her perfect curves under the thin sheets.I just wanted to share this moment with her, a moment of realization.

The realization that the night before had not all been in a drunken passion.

Suddenly, I wanted her to wake.I wanted her awake so that I could tell her how much I loved her.Tell her how much she meant to me, how the touch of her skin, her lips, her hair, the smell of her perfume, everything about her sent me into waves of ecstasy.How much I wanted her to be mine, and stay mine…forever.

Finally she stirred once again, waking this time and stretching lithely in my arms.I watched her nervously, afraid of her reaction, almost expecting her to hit me with fierce rage for taking advantage of her.

Suddenly she stiffened, rigid with sudden shock, and I realized she was fully awake, as I had become only a few minutes ago.I almost pulled away from her, for fear of frightening her, but decided against it, simply leaving my arms around her and hoping she would understand.

"Jesse…" I whispered softly, my heart sinking at the possibility that she remembered nothing of the night before, or that even if she had it had meant nothing to her.

"I'm so sorry."

She immediately relaxed again, her face still turned away from me so that I could not see her expression.

"Hmm, for what?" came her drowsy reply, though I was sure she knew what I was referring to.

I took a deep breath."For last night.The wine…the motel…this…"

I saw her smile, or rather, felt it.She snuggled closer, sighing deeply as if she were in heaven.

"Don't be…" she murmured softly, pulling my hand to her lips and kissing my fingers tenderly.

My heart soared._Did this mean that…?_

"You're not…mad?" I ventured, feeling a hopeful thrill run through me.She finally turned in my grasp, looking up at me with her deep expressive blue eyes so full of intense love that I lost myself to their depths all over again.

"James…I've loved you far longer than I can remember," she replied softly, her eyes searching mine as if reading a wonderful book, full of emotions unexplainable in their intensity."Last night was like a dream to me…"

I gazed back at her, finally allowing my love and longing to spill before her with my eyes.All this time, all this longing and watching, and the very thing I desired most in the world desired me with equal intensity.

Closing my eyes, I kissed her lips tenderly."Jesse, do you know how long I've longed to hear you say that?"

She laughed lightly, mingled with joyful tears, and wrapped her arms around me tightly; resting her head on my chest lovingly, holding on with an intensity like she would never let go.I embraced her back, the both of us falling back to sleep like that, knowing the other was there and would always be there.

"Jesse…" I murmured, just before sleep reclaimed me."I love you, too."

***


	8. Afterwards: Aquamarine

Afterwards: Aquamarine

**Afterwards: Aquamarine**

The two lovers were just getting out of the shower, when the door to the motel room—which they had neglected to lock the night before on their return from the café—burst open, Meowth standing in the open doorway with a scowl of dark irritation.A ragged brightly colored frill was about his neck, torn from his long travel, and traces of clown-like face paint could still be seen on his face.

Jesse hastily adjusted the tiny towel she was wearing around herself, James doing so as well.

"Meowth!" cried Jesse in shock.She had completely forgotten about the cat Pokémon, to her embarrassment."You're okay!"

"How did you find us?" added James dryly, slightly irritated that their newly romantic vacation had finally come to an end.

The scowling cat Pokémon took a deep breath, as if preparing to launch into a long and dull narrative.

In a wise move, his two towel-shrouded partners shook their heads hastily.

"Never mind—we don't want to know!" they proclaimed in unison, knowing they'd eventually find out but deciding they didn't want now to be that time.They might as well enjoy what was left of their vacation while they could.

Meowth nodded his head understandingly.Suddenly his eyes went wide, as if just noticing his two partners' apparent lack of clothing and the fact that they were alone and together in a one-bed motel room.

"What in da hell are you two…?!" he began in shock, his voice fading away into incredulity before he could finish his sentence.

Jesse and James looked at each other momentarily, then back at Meowth.They each took a deep breath, preparing to explain the rather uncomfortable situation.

Meowth put up his paws hastily, waving for them to stop.

"Never mind—I don't wanna' know!!"

After all, he hadn't even _had his vacation yet…_

*****


End file.
